Tuesday, May 12, 2015

FOODWALKING – Healthy Exercise For All Ages

“FOODWALKING”– A HEALTHY EXERCISE FOR ALL AGES Ramblings of a “Retired” MindByVIKRAM KARVE In my younger days – in school, college and my early days in the Navy – I played active sports for exercise.Later – my exercise comprised less physically strenuous activities like swimming, jogging, brisk walking/hill climbing etc.When I crossed my mid-40’s – and landed up in Mumbai 15 years ago – in the year 2000 – when I was around 45 years of age – I started my “foodwalks”.I had two “foodwalks” a day – one in the morning from 6 to 7:30 – and one in the evening from 5 to 7 (On Sunday mornings I had a super-long “foodwalk” which extended upto 9 or even 10 AM).These “foodwalks” had various stages:1. First, after a warm up brisk walk, I jogged on Marine Drive for around 3 kms till the end of Chowpatty.2. This was followed by a brisk walk – on weekday mornings – I would walk back to Stadium Restaurant at Churchgate for a Bun Maska, Bun Omlette or Kheema Pav and Refreshing Irani Chai – and on Sundays – it was a super-long foodwalk to Noor Mohammadi Hotel near Bhendi Bazar for Nalli Nihari – or to Vinay Lunch Home near Thakurdwar in Girgaum for Misal. In the evenings – when I had more time at my disposal – my foodwalks would be more exploratory – I would take new routes every day – and explore new eating places – starting from Colaba and Cuffe Parade in the South – to various places in Central Mumbai like Grant Road, Byculla, Mohd Ali Road, Crawford Market, Girgaum, Kalbadevi, Chowpatty etc wherever my legs would take me.3. So – it was first a brisk walk – then a “replenishment halt” for food – and after “replenishment halt”– it was a leisurely walk back home – fully satiated – and morale high.Retirement is a big comedown – and my glorious “foodwalks” came to an end.However – I have decided to revive my“foodwalks” again – and this morning I went on a long “foodwalk”– culminating in a “frugal” vegetarian breakfast.During this rather lacklustre foodwalk – I remembered my most memorable foodwalk in Mumbai.So – let me delve into my Foodie Archives – and pull out this “memoir” for you to read...MOUTHWATERING MUMBAI MEMORIESI Spent the Six Best Years of My Life in Mumbai – 6 glorious years from the years 2000 to 2006.During these six best years of my life, I lived in EMPRESS COURT– my all time favourite home – the best house I have ever lived in during my entire life.I wish I could have had my retirement home in that lovely neighbourhood, or nearby, but then, can an honest naval officer afford a house in South Mumbai?Maybe a Merchant Navy Officer can afford a house in “So Bo” (South Bombay) – but if you have spent your life honestly serving the nation in the “Fauji”Indian Navy – forget about Mumbai – you will not be able to afford a home in the heart of Pune – and you would probably have to settle down in some faraway suburb like Wakad or Baner or Kharadi – or in one of those military veteran “fauji ghettos” like Mundhwa, Kondhwa or Mohammadwadi where most retired service officers have settled down.But in your mind’s eye – you can always hark back – and relive your“good old days” with nostalgia. That is what I did on this lovely morning – during my foodwalk – I reminisced about my glorious Sunday Morning “Food Walks” in Mumbai.Let me tell you about my memorable Sunday mornings in Mumbai.UNFORGETTABLE MUMBAI FOOD WALKNALLI NIHARI at BHENDI BAZAAR

Mouthwatering Memories of an Early Morning Food Walk followed by a Sumptuous Nourishing Breakfast

ByVIKRAM KARVE

I love good food.

I am a foodie – I am certainly not a snobbish “high-falutin fine-dining foodie”– but I would rather describe myself as a simple Trencherman.

As I said, I love good food.

And I love walking around searching for good food.

So, whenever I get an opportunity, I set off on my frequent “food walks” searching for good food.

It was in “maximum city” Mumbai that I enjoyed my best food walks.

Let me tell about one of my favourite food walks – a fulfilling early morning food walks culminating in a nourishing breakfast.

This is probably my first piece of Foodie Writing.

I wrote this in the year 2000 – around 15 years ago – after returning from one of my food walks.

So – Dear Reader – here are some mouthwatering memories of a glorious early morning food-walk in Mumbai culminating in a wholesome breakfast.

Then I cross the Marine Drive, turn right and start off towards Chowpatty.

I greet with a smile the morning joggers and walkers and rinse my lungs with the fresh invigorating sea breeze.

I walk briskly on Marine Drive.

Soon I am past Marine Lines, Taraporewala Aquarium, Charni Road, Chowpatty, Wilson College – and after the brisk vigorous walk of about 30 minutes I break out into a slight sweat as I reach the northern end of Marine Drive.

Here I ponder for a moment.

Should I turn left up the Walkeshwar Road to Teen Batti and Banganga?

Or should I turn right towards Babulnath?

Or should I turn back towards Nariman Point?

I experience a sense of true freedom.

I can make whatever choice I want and go wherever I desire.

That’s freedom!

I choose to cross the road, and walk fast, straight up the steep path towards Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill – trying to exercise my heart and lungs.

I take a round of garden atop the water tank near Kamala Nehru Park (is it now called Phirozeshah Mehta Udyan?).

Then I canter down to Kemp’s Corner where I turn right – a U-turn really – past Crossword Bookstore – and I walk down Hughes Road.

(Today – I click and post foodie pictures using my smartphone – but since this happened 15 years ago when there were no smartphones – I will take the liberty of posting a picture of Nalli Nihari – freely available on the internet – from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, file url: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nalli_Nihari.JPG)

Nalli Nihari

Dear Reader, if you happen to be in Mumbai and are ready for a sumptuous non-vegetarian breakfast, take a brisk stimulating food walk early in the morning and begin your day with Nalli Nihari at Noor Mohammadi in Bhendi Bazar.

I assure you it will be a fortifying and stimulating experience.

Don’t forget to tell us how you enjoyed the food-walking experience.

But remember one thing.

If you want to truly appreciate this splendid Heritage Gourmet Trencherman’s Breakfast Dish to its fullest – you must build up an appetite for it.

Happy Walking.

Happy Eating.

Happy Food-Walking.

Remember – in order to enjoy your food – first build up an appetite – and then satiate it.

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

About Me

A creative person with a zest for
life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated
at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School
Pune, Vikram has published two books:COCKTAILa collection of fiction short stories about relationships
(2011) andAPPETITE FOR A STROLLa
book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel, writing short fiction and compiling his memoirs. An avid
blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative
non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, books, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories, self help and art of living essays in magazines and journals and published a number of professional research papers and reviews and edited in-house magazines and journals for many years, before the advent
of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to
creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse -
his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative
thoughts.